Vehicle load carriers adapted for engagement to the exterior of a vehicle are well known, and provide a convenient way to transport recreational and sporting goods equipment, such as bicycles, skis, coolers, and similar gear. A common type of load carrier or rack attaches to the vehicle's receiver hitch and is supported thereon. These hitch-mounted load carriers may be a fixed structure that cannot be adjusted or moved once attached to the vehicle, and may inhibit access to the rear of the vehicle, especially if the carrier is loaded with bicycles or other equipment. In order for the trunk lid of a car or the lift gate of a sports utility vehicle to be opened, if it has a hitch-mounted load carrier, a person must first unhitch the load carrier and may have to remove it from the vehicle. A person now can gain access to the cargo area of the vehicle, by lifting the trunk lid or lift gate, as the case may be. The load carrier can then be remounted and trunk lid or lift gate, as the case may be. The load carrier can then be remounted and secured to the vehicle after the trunk lid or lift gate is closed. If the load carrier has equipment attached to it, this process is even more cumbersome because the equipment must be unloaded before removing the load carrier, and then reloaded after the load carrier has been remounted to the hitch. Another disadvantage of a fixed structure load carrier is that it cannot be adjusted to a more compact size when it is transported without a load. The load carrier increases the overall length of the vehicle making it difficult for the user to back up safely, park, maneuver in traffic, etc.
In an attempt to alleviate these disadvantages, hitch-mounted load carriers have been developed which are adjustable to allow the main structure of the load carrier to move to allow access to the rear opening of a vehicle or to minimize the space used by the load carrier when its cargo is unloaded. Some load carriers have a pivot allowing the main structure of the load carrier to pivot downwardly and away from the rear of the vehicle, while other carriers pivot to the side of the vehicle, and still others slide to the rear, away from the vehicle. Another type of adjustable load carrier has individual components that are either adjustable or interchangeable with other sizes or types of members to enable a person to customize the size of the carrier.
Such load carriers may have a fastening mechanism, such as a pin fastener, to secure the components of the load carrier in a fixed position by inserting the pin fastener into openings in the load carrier designed to receive them. Conventional pin fasteners may become lost or misplaced. If a person loses or misplaces the pin fastener the load carrier cannot then be locked in a fixed position. Another problem with pin fasteners and other fastening mechanisms is that they may not fit securely into the openings thereby allowing the members to vibrate noisily against each other when the vehicle is driven. The motion of the pin fastener may cause it to repeatedly rub and wear against the boundary of the opening and enlarge it causing an even noisier connection.
The present invention provides a hitch-mounted load carrier with a unique pivot joint, which pivotally interconnects two portions of the load carrier, a first coupling member adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and a second carrier section. The pivot joint enables the carrier section to be selectively pivoted or swung between deployed and stowed positions. A non-removable retainer, such as a pin member, is selectively positionable to lock the pivot joint so that the coupling member and carrier section are locked from pivoting relative to one another when the carrier section is in either the deployed or stowed position. The retainer may be readily extended by hand to lock the carrier section to the coupling member or manually retracted to release the pivot joint without being removed.
The advantages of the present invention will be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the detailed description.